The Town of Leaside

The Town of Leaside was unique in Ontario as it was the only town which was
planned in complete detail before a single building was erected and which grew
to fulfil its plan pretty well as designed. Several towns were preplanned in
Ontario. York, Guelph and Goderich are examples of this, but not in nearly the
level of detail of Leaside. Many towns and villages were planned but only
after initial settlement, while most just grew like Topsy. In 1825 one other
town, Adolphustown, in Prince Edward County, came very close in detail of
planning to that of Leaside, but never really reached the planned potential
and is still just an unpretentious village.

A true pioneer of early Toronto, John Lea Senior arrived from England via
Philadelphia, USA in 1819. At that time, the total population of the Town of
York was 1,174; there were 91 one-storey houses, 68 two-storey ones and 21
shops. He desired land with good soil and which was close to transportation
and markets, so he chose York, because land was still quite cheap here in
Upper Canada. He bought 200 acres in the third concession
on
high ground between present-day Bayview Avenue, and Leslie Street, half a mile
south of Eglinton. His son William inherited 91 of these acres to which he
added 130 acres just south of his fathers farm, Here he built his octagonal
house which he called Leaside.

In 1881 the rail line now know as the CPR was built through the Lea farms and
in the early 1900s the Canadian Northern Railway Company (now the CNR) Built a
line through the Don Valley. Expecting large profits from land development,
the latter rail company began to assemble the land that would become The Town
of Leaside. In 1912, it announced its plan to establish a sizeable residential
community and engaged a town planner to prepare a detailed street and lot
plan. In April 23, 1913, the new community was incorporated, becoming the Town
of Leaside. The project was innovative for its time - a pre-planned town, laid
out fully before a building existed.

The company aimed to attract industry as well as residential growth; however,
the expected residential development did not happen immediately. Several
factors especially Leaside’s isolated location prevented rapid residential
growth; however, industrial development did start along the Canadian Pacific
corridor, accelerated by the First World War munitions factories. In 1913 the
Canada Wire and Cable Company became the first of many firms
to locate in Leaside. During World War I, the Canadian Government set up
several airfields to train pilots, mechanics and maintenance crews for the
Royal Flying Corps, one of which was in Leaside. Growth
was slow until the late 1930s. For the early years and up to 1929, the
population was 500 or less. During WWII the establishment of defence industies
such as Reseach Enterprises Ltd. resulted in significant
growth and by 1946 had passed ten thousand.

After the war, Leaside became a important bedroom community for the city and
by 1967, when it was merged with the Township of East York to become part of
The Borough of East York, it was over 20,000. In 1997, The Borough was
abolished and became part of the greatly enlarged City of Toronto.

For more about the industries and people of Leaside see “Leaside” Jane
Pitfield editor.